Trauma-Informed Parenting

These suggestions offer some starting points for parents who want their children to develop a just and inclusive worldview. Look at your baby or toddler. They are still learning to eat from a spoon, roll over, stack blocks, walk a few steps, or say their first words. It’s hard to imagine that even in these early years, young children are being shaped by the biases that surround them in the world. This is why parenting for social justice begins at birth. Get started with the following tips.

As child care costs continue to rise, more and more grandparents are stepping up to care for today’s infants and toddlers. While there are great rewards to these relationships, the dynamics can be challenging to navigate. ZERO TO THREE has created a suite of resources for professionals and families that include the latest information, tools and best practices to help support caregivers across the generations. Click here to find resources for professionals and for families!

Research shows that the right kind of support and care can mitigate the impact of toxic stress in children and help them bounce back. The Stress Health website from the Center for Youth Wellness shares many ways that parents can support a healthy stress response: sleep, nutrition, exercise, mental health, mindfulness and healthy relationships. These things help to decrease our stress hormones and inflammation for healthier brains and bodies. Stress Health is about learning how the stress...

By Rahil D. Briggs, Psychology Today, September 21, 2021 There are many ways to think about baby, toddler, and child well-being. Perhaps you relate to the phrase “early relational health” or maybe you read the recent journal article in Pediatrics that called out the importance of ensuring that young children have safe, stable, and nurturing relationships (SSNRs). There are conversations happening about buffering toxic stress , increasing resilience , and promoting infant and early childhood...

By David Gelles and Sam Kalda, The New York Times, September 2021 Children of all ages can benefit from mindfulness, the simple practice of bringing a gentle, accepting attitude to the present moment. It can help parents and caregivers, too, by promoting happiness and relieving stress. Here, we offer basic tips for children and adults of all ages, as well as several activities that develop compassion, focus, curiosity and empathy. And remember, mindfulness can be fun. What Is Mindfulness,...

September 2021 Monthly updates on the latest content, events, and more from the Center on the Developing Child The coronavirus pandemic has changed daily life in many ways, but the importance of providing support to children and families has remained constant. Over the past 18 months, teachers and students have adapted to social distancing and remote learning, and now, many are heading back to in-person learning environments. We have compiled a list of resources that can help educators and...

Child Trends News Service in partnership with Ivanhoe Broadcast News, August 12, 2021 Studies find that parental involvement in a child’s education can lead to more learning, higher test scores, graduation rates, and more opportunities to pursue higher education. Susan Sheridan, PhD, from the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, studied the effects of the program TAPP, or Teachers and Parents as Partners. The study found that students whose parents...

JustBirth Space is free, virtual support in the palm of your hand. The platform offers responsive and compassionate perinatal support through text and video chat, as well as virtual support groups and classes for moms, pregnant people and families all free of charge. JustBirth Space’s team of Connectors includes community-based doulas, lactation consultants, childbirth educators and postpartum experts–all providing warm, welcoming, and responsive support that is inclusive and safe for all...

By Emily F. Popek, New York Times, March 28, 2018 As parents, we want our children to be emotionally resilient — able to handle life’s ups and downs. But parents’ ability to foster resilience in our children hinges a great deal on our own emotional resilience. “A parent’s resilience serves as a template for a child to see how to deal with challenges, how to understand their own emotions,” said Dr. Dan Siegel, author of “The Yes Brain,” which focuses on cultivating children’s resilience. Yet...

Responding to Fears Between 3 and 5 years, children are fascinated by the world of pretend and imagination, and may believe in all kinds of fantasies. That also means they get scared of things that may sound silly to grownups. Even though monsters aren't real, the fear is real for the child, and they can't distinguish between fantasy and reality. Keep reading for tips you can offer to parents on how they can understand and respond to their child's fears: Acknowledge the fear - If parents...

By Conal Hanna, the Guardian, September 13, 2021 The dawning realisation of my limitations as a parent came in the aftermath of a(nother) pre-swimming meltdown. My son was approaching four at the time but still swam like a baby. That might sound harsh but I mean it literally – he was still in the “parent and bub” class splashing alongside six-month-olds. What’s more, his stubborn resistance to the class was growing by the week. We had tried seemingly everything. Lots of cuddles, reassurance,...

By Jessica Grose, The New York Times, Sept. 15, 2021 Every decision for not-yet-vaccinated kids feels like an unsolvable equation. There was a brief, shining moment in early summer when the decisions around Covid and my family felt manageable. My husband and I were vaccinated and had returned to some of our favorite indoor activities, like stand-up comedy shows and the gym. Our kids were at a mostly outdoor day camp with procedures we trusted, and the local case rate was low. But as July...